


The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon

by DonnaLeeGreene



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Kidnapping, Sex, hostage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-21 05:31:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6040108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonnaLeeGreene/pseuds/DonnaLeeGreene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth is missing. Daryl and Kate(OFC) are found in the road and taken. They do what they must to survive this rough group.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Captured

This story is a spinoff of The Walking Dead. Some things are taken from the TV series such as characters and a couple of plot twists but the narrating character is an invention of my own. All characters are above eighteen.

 

"C'mon, we gotta go." Daryl said. I looked at Beth and we followed obediently. At twenty-two, I was closer to Maggie's age than Beth's but her and I had a lot in common. At the prison, we shared the responsibilities of cleaning and organizing and caring for the children. I did, however, share quite a few interests with Daryl and he had been expanding the knowledge my dad had started me on at a young age. I had always been a hunter and a fisher. Before the governor came, he had been teaching me to track and to be a better shot with the bow.

We wandered for days, being chased by various small herds of walkers. We were pretty quiet. Beth had lost her father, Daryl had lost a friend, and I had lost a role model. In the days we wandered, Beth and I got through to Daryl, who had withdrawn and quite frankly got a little scary. We comforted him when he broke down and our bonds grew stronger. Then Beth was taken at the funeral home. Daryl told us both to head for the road but I took my bow and I went to help him. Beth had only a knife so she headed for the road. Arrows flew from my bow and I was grateful for Daryl's lessons as walker after walker fell beneath my arrows. I was just heading down the stairs when Daryl rushed around the corner. I damn near shot him.

"What the hell are you doin’? Where's Beth?" He asked as I lowered my weapon.

"She went for the road. I couldn't leave you behind. We wouldn't last a day without you." I told him.

Just then we heard the shuffling footsteps of more walkers. "Let's go." He said pushing me ahead of him. 

We climbed out the window and headed for Beth only to see her stuff on the road. A car raced away from us. Darryl and I looked at each other and took off after the car. Our pursuit didn't end until the next day.

I couldn't breathe. My bow was like lead in my hand, sweat dripped down my back and between my boobs as the hot Georgia sun beat down on us. Daryl collapsed on the ground and I followed. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to regain my breath.

"I'm sorry." I gasped, "I should have gone with her. I should have been there to protect her. I should have listened to you." I buried my face into my knees and wept in shame. Hadn't we lost enough already? Daryl pulled me into his arms and I cried into his chest. Though he made no sound, I felt his tears fall onto my hair. 

This is how they found us. Alone on the road, holding each other. All but one were men and I had a bad feeling about them. Daryl was in the same mindset because he pulled me up and shielded me from the man who was obviously the leader.

"Your girl?" The leader asked.

"Yeah." Daryl said, staring him down.

"She's a pretty thing." The man said trying to see around him.

"She's dangerous too." He tried to intimidate.

"I see the bow she has. I'm sure you've taught her how to use it. We could use folks like you."

"Sorry man, we're looking for our friend. We're not interested."

Guns raised to point at us. "You ain't got a choice." The man said.

Daryl nodded. "Well alright then."

They brought us to an abandoned cul-de-sac with some well-maintained houses. It was obvious that they'd been here a while. There were fences and other lines of defense against both walkers and people. They walked us in and locked us in a room.

"I'm scared." I whispered to Daryl. "There are not a lot of women here and I'm the newest of them."

"I know" Daryl said tersely. "I won't let ‘em hurt you"

"You may not have a choice." I said, "We need to get out of here alive. We need to find Beth and the others. You need to find us a way out of here and to do that, we have to win their trust. I would rather not have to sleep with any of these men but if it means our lives, I will."

"It won't come to that." Daryl said, "I'll do whatever I gotta do to make sure these guys know you're mine."

"Even have sex with me?" I asked. I could tell I shocked him. "They're gonna wonder, eventually, if there's really something between us. Look at these guys. They're vulgar and disgusting. Like barflies in a bar. They're gonna wonder why you don't grab-ass or feel me up. They're gonna wonder why they don't hear us at night. You're gonna have to start doing those things once they let us out of here. You have to be like them for them to trust you."

"You deserve better than that." Daryl said.

"I'd rather get it from you than from them." I said. He looked at me for a long second and then nodded. 

We were locked in that room for what seemed to be hours until finally, the leader showed up.

"I wanna see how well you and the girl do with your weapons." He said. He brought us out to the back yard of the house. There was a fenced in area and there were a bunch of walkers in it. I was given my bow and knives back and Daryl was given his crossbow and knives and then they pushed us into the arena. Daryl and I stood back to back, firing our weapons as the walkers swarmed. I dropped my bow and pulled out my knives. By the time it was over we were both covered in walker blood and guts but all the walkers lay dead around us.

"Are you bit?" He asked me.

"No, are you?" 

"No."

There was a round of applause from the deck and we looked up to see a group of spectators. "Welcome to the den." The leader shouted down to us.

We were still considered prisoners to them though and they kept us apart for the most part. Daryl rose quickly among their ranks as they forced him on raids and missions with the others. I was kept hostage, usually with the hunting parties but I was rarely harassed by the men. I knew this was the kind of crowd Daryl ran with once and I knew he could handle them. I also knew he would be able to protect me just by being associated with him.

Almost a month after our capture, Daryl and I both were allowed to keep our weapons at all times. They still kept us apart mostly but the leader, John, had taken a liking to him and after a particularly successful raid everyone was in good spirits. We all gathered in the living room. The men were drinking and the few women were flirting. As was expected of me, I went to Daryl who sat in an armchair and I draped myself across his lap. I kissed him feverishly and he returned in kind, his rough hands sliding up the leather pants that my female housemates had found and forced on me. His hand continued its journey all the way up to my full breast which he squeezed playfully. This wasn't the first time we had done this show for the others. Daryl's successes were rewarded with my presence and he had been very successful many times in the last month. I had come to enjoy his hands on my body and the feel of his tongue. Being drunk wasn't helping. 

The men laughed and catcalled at the show and John spoke up

"I've kept you from your woman's bed long enough my friend. You did good for us. We'll give you guys a room alone tonight."

Daryl and I stared at each other for a moment. We knew this day would eventually come and where I feared it before, now I wanted it. I wasn't pretending anymore. I wanted him.

"Thanks boss." He said.

"You've earned it." Was his reply.

Not thirty minutes later, Daryl was pushing me off of his lap as he finished the last of his beer. I stumbled a little, having had more than my share of alcohol that night, and he steadied me.

"Where ya goin’?" One of the guys called.

"Bed." He responded.

"But the sun just set." another called.

"I didn't say I was gonna sleep." He answered with a grin. He slapped my leather clad ass and followed me into his bedroom down the hall. He closed the door but we could hear footsteps and excited chattering.

"You know they'll probably bust in." He said.

"Guess we'll have to give ‘em a good show." I replied as I trailed my hand down his arm. His eyes burned into mine and I could see that he desired me as much as I desired him. I slid his leather vest off of his shoulders and threw it onto a nearby chair. He watched me as I unbuttoned the sleeveless plaid shirt he wore underneath, revealing his muscled chest bit by bit. That's when I realized he was pretty dirty from the raid.

"How about we start with a bath?" I asked and he just smiled. I led him to the adjoined bathroom where water heated by the sun could be accessed from the roof. We filled the bathtub and then I turned to face him. I unzipped the leather top I wore and let it fall to the ground. He watched intently as I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra. I let it fall to the ground and stood proudly, my D chest bared to his view. I could almost hear his heart rate go up. He dropped his sleeveless plaid button up onto the bathroom floor. I untied and unbuttoned my pants and slowly shimmied out of them. He did the same with his pants and I found out he hadn't been wearing underwear. Eight inches of pure hard man was pointing straight at me. With a grin, I dropped my panties, revealing a very short, trimmed bush. I preferred clean shaven but razors were hard to come by.

With a beckoning smile, I stepped into the huge tub and he quickly followed. Grabbing a bar of soap, I spudded up a wash cloth and started with his shoulders. Dirt and dried blood lifted from his skin and he leaned his head back, enjoying the sensation. I washed around his neck and down his muscled arms then back to his chest then down his stomach. Finally, with a devilish grin, I wrapped the cloth and my hand around his manhood. I stroked it gently, as he tensed, his while body rigid. I moved down to his sac, cleaning and teasing all in the same motion.

"You're killing me." He groaned.

I moved the washcloth to his thighs. "You'll get the chance to return the favor." I promised. 

When he was mostly clean in front I had him turn so I could do his back. I pressed my boobs to his back teasing him as I cleaned. By the time he was all clean, the water was filthy. I stood and he watched as water cascaded off of my body. I stepped out onto the tile floor and grabbed a towel. I dried most of myself and then turned, offering the towel to him. As he dried himself, I walked out into the bedroom. The bed's covers were all bunched up and I knew they would be uncomfortable so I pulled them to the foot of the bed. Before I'd arranged them to my liking I felt his hand on my arm and he turned me to face him.

"You're a tease." He said and his mouth came down on mine. Fire raced through me as his hands traced my naked body. His member was pressed firmly just below my stomach. I knew this would not be painful like I would expect from one of the other guys, but I knew also that it wouldn't be any kind of gentle love making.

Daryl lowered me down onto the bed, taking a nipple between his teeth. I whimpered in sweet pain as electric shocks raced to my wet pussy. He feasted on my flesh admiring tits that had always been large, even when food was scarce. From there his mouth left a trail of fire down my stomach. Then he spread my legs and knelt on the floor. He admired me for a moment.

"I'll show you torture." He said with a smirk and he proceeded to take my pussy into his mouth. I squirmed and panted as his tongue burrowed into my flesh, alternating between my pussy and my hard little clit. He wouldn't let me cum though and after a while I couldn't take it anymore.

"Please, Daryl, please." I whined as his tongue lapped at my clit. My hips were jerking, seeking release.

"Please what?" He asked, grinning.

"I need to cum." I answered.

He rose and I knew what was coming next. "If you're gonna come it's gonna be on my dick." He said as I scrambled backwards, making room for him on the bed. We heard an appreciative chuckle outside of the door. Paying no mind, Daryl climbed over me and I shamelessly let my legs fall open. I watched as he rubbed his thick manhood over my soaking wet lips and clit, lubricating his tip and then he started pushing it in.

"Damn you're tight" He said.

I couldn't speak. It had been so long since anyone had touched me, much less entered me. He was stretching me uncomfortably but I silently begged him not to stop. When he bottomed out I moaned like a whore. The pleasure was almost unbearable. 

"You like that?" He asked as he began moving in strong, sharp thrusts.

"Yes!" I gasped. I was arching in to each thrust, trying to drive him deeper. He began to fuck me in earnest, the slap of our flesh loud in the now silent house. Rough hands took their fill of my body and I returned the favor, learning every ripple and divot of his torso.

Just as I was getting close, he pulled out and I complained loudly.

"Turn around." He ordered and I obeyed without hesitation. He entered me from behind, each thrust dragging a grunt from me. He reached beneath me and stroked my clit and I cried out. The door opened, as Daryl predicted and everyone watched. Daryl grabbed me by the hair and pulled my up so my back was to his chest. The men watched my tits bounce with each driving trust of the man behind me and I was too far gone to care. The watchers hooted their appreciation and then Daryl pushed me back down. He fucked me harder and this time, when his hand returned to my clit, my body clamped down and I screamed my release. Daryl pumped into my spasming pussy and with a final grunt he emptied himself into me. He once again pulled me up against his chest. He kissed my neck and shoulder and ran his hands gently over my body, soothing me as I trembled in the aftershocks of my orgasm.

"She's all mine boys." He drawled to the guys who were still watching. "You had a look now get the hell out."

The guys knew better than to mess around and so they filed out, shutting the door behind them. Daryl pulled out and I felt his cum leak down my leg.

"What if I get pregnant?" I asked.

"We'll just worry about that if it happens." Daryl said. We took turns going to the bathroom and then we laid together in bed, naked. 

"That wasn't us pretending, was it?" He asked.

"No." I replied. "I don't think we ever were."

 

Let me know what you thought and maybe I will continue stories about Daryl Dixon's sexcapades! 

-DonnaLeeGreene


	2. Fight

Two months went by before Daryl and I were no longer watched like hawks. John had taken a strong liking to him and the longer we were there, the more respect Daryl earned but it wasn't all daises and tulips. With Daryl's new standing in the group came resentment from others less talented and shrewd than he. They had been in the group longer; some were there from the beginning. The malcontents began to push both Daryl and me. I was out tending some of the goats we had managed to capture when one of the younger men came out to pay me a little visit.

"Hey pretty thing." He twanged as he circled me. I glared at him as I placed my hand on the hilt of my machete. It was less practical in close combat than a switchblade, but I was hoping he would understand the gesture and back off. Unfortunately for me, most men don't do well with subtlety.

"Where's your man at?" He sneered, knowing full well they had just left for a raid.

"He's not my babysitter." I replied.

He grabbed me and pulled me up against his lean body before I could react. I could feel his hard length as he ground his hips against me. I struggled fiercely to no avail.

"I'm gonna take you and make you my bitch." He told me as his hand helped itself to my ass. "We'll see how great Daryl thinks he is then."

I spit right in his face and he hit me so hard that I saw stars. I fell to the ground, stunned for a minute, but as I regained my senses, I started laughing.

"What the hell you laughing at?" The man said.

"You do what you want with me," I said, "but you better kill me after because as soon as I tell Daryl that you laid a hand on me, you're a dead man."

I saw a flicker of fear pass over his face but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"You want me to kill you? Done. No one will know who did it and Daryl will get what he deserves."

I cursed myself for giving him ideas as he grabbed me and started dragging me towards the woods. I shrieked until he landed another blow to my face.

"Shut the fuck up." He growled. "As soon as we hit those woods, I'm gonna-" The thunk of a well-placed arrow ended his sentence. He released me and looked down at the arrow protruding from his chest. I watched him fall to the ground, choking on his own blood.

"I told you." I said as I headed back to the houses. I saw Daryl standing on the nearest one's deck with his crossbow pointing up.

"Thanks." I called up to him as I reached the house.

"You aright?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Daryl nodded and headed into the house. I went in the back door and met him inside.

"I thought you were on a raid." I said.

"Nah, I came back. I told John how the guys have been actin' up and he let me come back to check on you."

"Good thing." I said .

That night, the men came back from the raid bloody and wounded though their vehicles were loaded with spoils. They had lost a couple of people and the mood was somber. The few women who were there tried to lighten the mood, sitting on the men's laps and cuddling up to them. Kara, the cute willowy blonde who did most of the cooking, sidled up to Daryl. She started to rub his shoulders. His eyes connected with mine and he smirked.

I watched as she ran her hands all over him and the smirk never left his face. I smirked too, knowing that no matter what she did she would never have him. When her eyes connected with mine, my smirk was immediately replaced by a scowl. I could see the smug look on her face, like she thought she had won something and she was trying to gloat.

I got up from my place and headed over to him. I climbed onto his lap, straddling his hips. Kara glared at me, challenging my decision to come over. I peeled her hands from off of his chest.

"I can take it from here." I said.

She smirked. "I doubt a prude like you could handle a man like him."

"I'm not a prude, I'm just not a whore. You wouldn't know the difference."

"Real men like a woman with experience." She said.

"Real men don't like rotten stripper crotch." I countered "Maybe that's why you have such a hard time getting laid."

The men were roaring with laughter and Kara couldn't contain herself. She grabbed me by the hair and dragged me off of Daryl. I cried out in pain as she hauled me to the middle of the living room floor. Believing she had the upper hand, she released me so she could start beating on me. I was expecting it, however, so when her booted foot connected with my side, I locked my arm around it, pinning it. I quickly rolled and threw her off balance. I had the upper hand then and crawled on top of her but she had recovered enough to get a solid swing at my face. The pain was twice as bad after the beating I had received earlier in the day. Before I could regain my bearings, she yanked my arm behind my back so I did the only thing I could think of. I slammed the back of my head into her face. She was a little taller than me and I could feel the sharp edges of her teeth against the back of my head. We both went down. She clutched her bleeding lip and nose as I cradled my throbbing head.

"That's enough." John said "We don't want to damage the goods."

There was a bunch of booing and, seizing the moment, I turned and started beating on Kara's side, trying to get my point across. The next thing I knew, strong arms were restraining me and someone was helping Kara to her feet. I looked back and stopped struggling when I saw it was Daryl whose body was to my back. I realized John was talking to him.

"You gotta keep her under control." He was saying

"Don't worry. I'll wear her ass out tonight and she'll be tame as a kitten tomorrow." Daryl replied. There were some chuckles and a few cat calls.

"Get her out of here." John said gruffly but there was a hint of a joke in his voice.

"We're goin'." He said and he pretty much dragged me up the steps to the room we shared. As soon as the door shut he released me and we stared at each other. I was feeling feisty and he could tell. I started to circle to his side so he stood between me and the bed. He didn't move, but I could see his eyes tracking me.

"Your bow." I demanded.

He un-slung it from his shoulder and moved closer to the bed so he could prop it up near the nightstand for easy access. It was then that I chose to pounce. I ran into him, knocking him onto the bed. I laughed as he struggled to right himself. He sat up on the bed, a huge grin on his face. Quick as a snake, his arm shot out to pull me in. After having the day I had, I flinched back. It was a reflex but his smile immediately vanished and he withdrew his arm. All playfulness was gone from both of us. I knew he thought I was afraid of him.

"I'm sorry." I said, trying to fix it before it ruined our entire night.

"No." He said. "I get it."

"No you don't." I said.

"Yeah I do. I know the things I've done. If I was you I'd be scared too."

My body was as tense as a loaded spring. I needed to make him understand. 

"It wasn't you." I insisted, "It was Derek. Today's been hard. I hurt all over and I've had enough fists flying at my today to keep me flinching at nothing for a week."

Daryl looked at me and sighed. "Come here." He said.

I wasn't sure he believed me but he wasn't arguing and I readily followed his request. He laid me on the bed and remove all of my clothes except for my black lace panties. I expected him to take his clothes off but instead he went to the bathroom and wetted a cool cloth. He then proceeded to run the cloth all over my exposed skin, cooling my heated flesh. I sighed and murmured in pleasure as he eased all of the tension from my muscles. When he finished my back, he started on my front. I winced as he drew the cloth over a cut beneath my eye where Kara had hit me.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there today." He said.

"You saved me." I answered.

"Not soon enough." He said as he continued to clean my face. When he was done he placed the washcloth into the bowl of cool water and just looked at me. It looked like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. I decided to help him let go the way he had just helped me. I demanded he strip as well and so he did. I took the cloth and washed him the way he washed me though I began with his front. When his back was clean and dry, I began to massage it. I worked the tension from his muscled shoulders and back. I traced the lines of his ribs and his spine, drawing contented moans from deep in his chest. I knew he loved the feel of nails on his skin. When I got tired of sitting up, I decided to add my mouth to his massage. I laid down beside him and started to nibble along his neck and shoulder. When I got tired and finally quit, he turned to his side and looked at me. He burrowed his fingers into the hair at the bottom of my neck and drew me in for a kiss. It was different this time around. Usually we fucked hard and fast and it was a hot and quick fire. I could feel his hard length pressed against me but there was none of the usual urgency. It felt less like a man dying of thirst and more like a man savoring a delicious piece of candy.

Daryl's attention turned from my mouth to the rest of my body. He sucked and nibbled gently on my skin, teasing me until I was arching into his mouth and hands. Rough fingers teased my slit, promising much more. He jerked a little when my hand found his staff and started lightly stroking it but he didn't quit his ministrations. 

"Please," I whispered looking into his eyes, "I want you inside of me."

He stripped me of my panties and climbed between my legs. He grabbed his dick and ran it up and down my slit, moistening the tip. He kissed me as he gently began pushing in. He went so slow that I thought I would lose my mind but no amount of begging could make him go faster. It was his subtle way of reminding me who was in control. When he was finally fully sheathed inside of me, I thought I would pass out. I could feel my muscles flexing and releasing, trying to draw him deeper and I tried grinding my hips up into him but the friction wasn't enough.

"Please!" I begged once more.

"Look at me." He said gruffly. I looked into his blue eyes as he began to move. Every time my eyes closed in pleasure, he stopped until I was looking at him again. This went on for ten minutes, his dick driving me crazy and his presence surrounding me. Suddenly he stopped moving and adjusted himself so he was more upright and I had more room. I looked at him questioningly.

"I want you to touch yourself." He said.

"What?" I replied.

He took my hand and guided it to my hard clit. "I want you to make yourself cum on my dick." He said.

I was a little flustered. I had never pleasured myself in front of anyone before. "But I don't... I've never..."

He pushed into me a little to redirect my attention. "Do it." He commanded.

I hesitated but then brought a finger to my mouth. I wetted it and brought it down to my love button. I stroked myself as he watched. Every once in a while I could feel him pulse in me. Soon, I was losing all semblance of self-consciousness and my hips began to undulate, looking for assistance from his hard length buried inside of me. My pace quickened and my eyes closed as I remembered the way he fucked me the first time.

"Look at me." He demanded yet again. It was so hard but I opened my eyes. I could feel my face flushing as a sweet ache started building deep inside me. My muscles tensed and my breath came in irregular gasps. Just as I was about to cum, he started to pump fast and hard into me. The mix of my hand and his cock drove me over the edge. My body arched upward as my eyes rolled back and my pussy contracted. Every muscle in my body strained, releasing the powerful pleasure that he had built inside of me. Just as I began to come down, I felt him thrust hard into me and release. By the time we were both finished we were panting with the intensity of it.

"I want a baby." He said.

I looked at him for a really long moment. "You what?" I asked.

"I'm getting older." He answered, "I want a family."

"Here? In this place?" I asked incredulously. He pulled out and sat up.

"Maybe not here, but if I get you pregnant we'll leave or I'll take over. I want a kid."

"Daryl, I couldn't live with myself if I brought a child into this place. These people are bad. They are ugly and sick and disturbed. I'm leaving here if I get pregnant; with or without you."

"I'll do whatever it takes." He replied.

"We need to find Rick." I told him, "We need to find our people."

"I guess we gotta bust outta here." He said. "I'll start makin' plans."

He laid back down next to me and I cuddled against his chest. I thought long and hard about what he said. I watched him as he slept that night, the full moon sending silver light across his skin. He looked so peaceful and content and I felt the stirrings of love deep in my heart. I decided then and there that I would bear this man's children.

"You'll make a great father." I whispered as I snuggled closer. We just had to get out of there.


	3. Rescued

"Kate!" The urgent whisper brought me to immediate attention. Our room was dark, the sun not even close to rising. Daryl was hovering over me, tense as a cornered wolf.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"Somethin's happenin' out there." He replied. "I thought I heard an engine and I'm pretty sure there's some guys outside. I think we're in for a raid."

My heartbeat picked up. Raids were messy and dangerous. People were killed. If the group was really a bad one, they left no survivors. Our captors were one of those groups. I wasn't surprised someone had come. They must have been watching us for a long time to know that after a raid, everyone got wasted and passed out, Daryl and I and the guards being the exception.

I quickly got dressed and he took up his crossbow. I retrieved my compound bow from the closet and nocked a broad head. 

"We gotta get onto the roof without 'em seein' us. They won't look for us there."

I knew what would happen if we were seen. They most likely had firepower and would think we were a threat to them. They would shoot us down without a thought. I quickly reached up and kissed Daryl for all I was worth.

"I trust you." I said. I saw his lips tighten just a bit in determination.

Our room was on the second floor but we were lucky in that the house was built with a low roof so all we really had to do was climb out the window. The trick was to wait 'til the raid started so they would be distracted. We didn't have to wait long. The attack was executed with precision and all of our livestock was rounded up just as the first of the men entered the house. We heard them moving to each room downstairs and hardly a peep was heard from our captors as their throats were slit.

"We have to go now." Daryl whispered. He climbed out of the open window and helped me out after him. We both lay flat on the roof between where the windows jutted from the house and prayed that they wouldn't see us. Time passed and we heard them load up the livestock and whatever valuables we had. They confirmed that everyone in the house was dead. I was trying so hard to hear what was being said that I didn't notice something was off until Daryl made a grab for his bow. I heard the hammer of a revolver click into place and froze. Daryl seemed to think this was the best course of action as well as he froze with his hand on his bow.

"Hand off the bow." The faceless voice said. Daryl complied immediately.

"Seems awful strange to me that you two have been hiding up on this roof while we killed your family."

I couldn't help it, I snorted in disgust.

"You got somethin' to say, little lady?" He asked me.

"They're not our family." I said firmly.

"Right." He said disbelievingly. "We've been watchin' you for almost a month now and I've seen this man leavin' on raids with these assholes. I've seen you in this house and out hunting for your group."

"They captured us." Daryl said. "We didn't have any choice."

"There's always a choice." The man said.

"Well I chose not to die." Daryl replied.

Surprisingly the man stayed quiet for a few moments. Maybe he was realizing a truth that all who lived in the world we lived in came to see. Sometimes we had to do bad things to survive.

"Alright, here's what were gonna do. You two are gonna do exactly as I say or you're dead. Stand up, slowly, and leave all of your weapons on the roof."

It felt strangely familiar as we rid ourselves of every weapon we had. I hoped we wouldn't be captured into another group just to be forced to do more shit we didn't want to do. I thought of the prison and swore if we could have it back I would never complain about it again.

Once we were standing the man had us turn around to face him. A .45 was pointed straight at us, hammer cocked.

"Now I want you to walk slowly to stand, facing me, in front of that window."

We complied and he yelled down to the people he was with who promptly came up and bound our wrists behind our backs. They gathered our weapons and herded us down to their trucks. A giant of a man stepped out from behind a truck and I couldn't help but feel apprehensive. He was very obviously their leader and very intimidating.

"You two didn't shoot at us or attempt to wake the others." He said. "Why?"

"They ain't our people." Daryl said.

"But you've been living with them." He said.

"We were captured. They found us useful so they kept us." I told him.

"Why not run?" The man asked.

"I wasn't leaving without her." Daryl said. "I think they knew that and they were either watching one or the other of us at all times except in the house. We wouldn't have got passed the guards alive."

The man looked thoughtfully at Daryl and seemed to come to some kind of a decision. "Cut 'em loose boys." The men looked shocked.

"I didn't say give 'em their weapons. What are they gonna do, talk us to death?"

The men untied our wrists and we looked around as the spoils of the raid were loaded into a big army wagon. We were directed to the same vehicle that the leader was in and as everyone headed out, we began talking to him.

"Where you guys from originally?" The man asked.

"Here and there." Daryl said. "I never stayed in one place too long."

"I'm from up north." I said. "I was down here on a road trip with a friend when shit hit the fan."

"Whereabouts up north?" He asked.

"Minnesota."

"Whew. That's a hike." He said. "Well I'm Connor and I'm from Atlanta. We've got a camp and there's lots of food and lots of people. We just took in a couple strays a couple of months ago. Poor things lost their homes in an attack. Some kind of squabble that got blown way out of proportion. There was even a tank!" Connor chuckled at the absurdity.

I saw Daryl perk up. "Them strays didn't happen to mention a prison did they?" He asked.

"Yeah, actually, they did." He replied.

"What were their names?" I asked.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"Our home was ruined by a mad man with a tank about two months ago. He wanted our home for his people and we weren't willing to give it up. We got out. There was another girl with us, Beth, but she was taken." I explained.

"Beth?" He asked. "Beth Greene?"

"You have her?" I asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. One of my guys picked her up off the road in the middle of the night. We thought she was lying at first when she said she had people with her. Of course, by the time we believed her we had no idea where to start lookin' for you."

I smiled at Daryl, letting my relief and joy at the news show. "She's alive." I said breathlessly.

He took me in his arms and we shared our joy and relief and our love. Neither of us had even dared to hope she was alive, much less thriving.

"Are there others from the prison?" Daryl asked. 

Connor smiled. "Oh yeah."

We pulled into what looked to be a plantation that had been fenced in. Walkers meandered along the fence line and struggled against sharp wooden stakes that they were impaled on. There were two people on the other side of the gate and they quickly opened them, allowing the SUV and the army wagon to pass. They sealed up the gates and we continued up a long driveway with huge trees on either side. When the house came into view I gasped. It was beautiful. The house was huge, it's wooden siding painted white. It looked like an old plantation manor that had been modernized before the virus hit. It was three stories with a beautiful wrap around front porch.

"The owner of this mansion was a doomsday prep-er. He died a while back. He was old. But he set us up really well before he died. We have fenced in fields and generators and a lot of food and fuel and drinking water."

People started pouring out of the house to greet the trucks. Connor pulled to a stop and got out, gesturing for us to do the same. We climbed out and the crowd went quiet. Then there was a shriek.

"Daryl! Kate! You're alive!" Beth came running up to us and embraced us both. There were more calls of pleasant surprise as Carol, Tyrese, Michone, Rick, Carl, Maggie, Glen, Robert, and Sasha came forward. We all embraced and I felt a wealth of happiness and love. I couldn't believe how lucky we were.

That night we stayed up late into the night talking about how we all escaped the prison. We were introduced to Terra who had helped Glen find Maggie. We talked about what each of us had been through in the past couple of months and how nice the place we were living in now was. Beth brought Judith out for us to see and Daryl held her and cooed at her much like he had done when she was a newborn. The group was told about what Daryl and I had become to each other. I looked at Carol nervously. I had always thought there was something between them.

"I'm happy for you guys." She said, rubbing my shoulder reassuringly. "I certainly wouldn't be able to give him a child. I had my tubes tied after Sophia was born. I didn't want to bring another child into that house."

Finally, exhaustion caught up with Daryl and me. The sun was just reaching its peak when we asked where we could sleep. We were showed to a nice big room on the top floor. It had a neat and clean queen sized bed as well as its own bathroom and a fireplace. I quickly undressed and climbed into bed. Daryl followed me and soon we were asleep.

When I finally woke up, the sun was setting. The Georgia sky was painted in shades of red and gold as the light began to fade. Daryl stood looking out the huge window, his nude body bathed in a fiery glow. I felt a tingle between my legs as I hungrily examined him. He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned and half grinned, as if he knew what I was thinking. He walked over to a little coffee table and picked up a tray. He brought it to me and I was it had food on it. There were biscuits and gravy as well as green beans and some fresh strawberries.

"They brought it in while you were sleeping. I ate mine already."

I was so hungry that I didn't care that my food had gone mostly cold. I devoured it and then lay back, sated. Daryl moved the tray and then took hold of the sheet that covered me. He slowly dragged it down, revealing my body inch by inch. He smiled when he saw my nipples erect and aching for his mouth. He was eager to oblige and his mouth descended on the dusky buds. He laved and suckled each of them bringing contented moans from me. He released my nipple and moved slowly up my neck.

"You're beautiful." He whispered in my ear before taking a lobe between his teeth. I could feel the warmth of my juices on my thighs which I spread shamelessly for him. He trailed his hands up and down my body as he teased my ears and neck. I gently pushed him back.

"It's my turn." I said as I pushed him onto his back. I too, kissed and nibbled his neck, running my fingers through his hair and scraping my nails lightly across his chest. I kissed down his chest and gave him a love bite as my hand found his hard shaft. I stroked it slowly, savoring the feel of him and the tormented noises he was making. I slid down further and replaced my hand with my mouth, working him in a steady rhythm that had him trying to thrust deeper in my mouth.

"Damn, girl." He groaned. My tongue swirled around his head and I felt him twitch. "You're pushin' it." He warned. I increased my pace, demanding what I wanted from him. His whole body was tense as he tried to hold on. I started adding a strong sucking when I pulled back. I heard him grunt and felt him pulse and then his cum flooded my mouth. I swallowed as he emptied himself and when I had taken the last of his salty, bitter cum, I released him and looked up, smiling.

"Damn." He said again, catching his breath, but I wasn't don't yet. 

I climbed over him and sank my throbbing pussy onto his still hard dick and went to the hilt. He hissed as his sensitive cock was overstimulated. He was starting to go limp but I knew how to make him hard again. Tossing my hair back, I stuck my chest out, causing my breasts to jut out proudly. I began to rub and squeeze them, pinching my nipples and moaning as little shocks in my pussy caused the muscles to tremble and twitch. I made a show of touching myself in all the best places and I felt his dick grow hard as ever inside me. With and evil grin I began a slow, torturous grind against him. His hands came up and roughly handled my tits, pinching and squeezing the soft flesh. Needing more, I began to move faster and he began to move with me. Still it wasn't enough. I got off of him and then got on all fours, presenting my rear end to him.

"Take me!" I demanded.

He rose behind me and sheathed himself in one quick thrust. I cried out in sheer bliss as he hammered deep into my desperate pussy. I could feel tension building within me and knew I was ready. I dropped to an elbow and put a hand between my legs, furiously rubbing my clit.

"Yeah, Baby. I want you to cum all over my dick." Daryl said as he pounded into me.

I was moaning and arching beneath him. The pressure inside me built to a max.

"Oh god, fuck me harder, baby. I'm gonna cum!" I moaned. He pounded into me and my body clenched sending me over the edge. I moaned long and low, my eyes rolling and my body spasming. I came so hard that I didn't even feel it as he spewed his load deep into my body.

When I finally came down, he pulled out of me and grabbed a washcloth to clean up our mess. He tenderly wiped my thighs and pussy and then cleaned himself off. Then he crawled in bed and held me as I floated on a cloud.

"I'm supposed to get my period tomorrow." I said.

"So?" He asked.

"We'll find out if you're going to be a father or not." I said.

I felt his hand stray down to my belly. "Are you ready for a baby?" He asked, suddenly self-conscious about our age difference.

"As long as it's yours." I said.

His only response was a big squeeze. I smiled happily, hoping that my period would never come.


	4. New Blood

The days at the Plantation grew shorter and the temperature began to drop. We had harvested crops, canned food, mulched the gardens, prepared seed for the spring planting, and brought in more fuel and firewood for the winter. I stood beside Maggie in the kitchen, laboring away over the stove as we cooked for the fifty or so residence who we had come to know as family. Maggie's belly was beginning to swell. She was nearly four months pregnant by her calculations and her bump was just beginning to show which caused me no end of jealousy. Daryl wanted a baby and I wanted to give him one. 

When we had arrived at the Plantation in the end of July, I missed my period and found out I was pregnant. Two weeks later, I bled. Chuck, the Plantation doctor, told me it was fairly common for a first time pregnancy to miscarry especially when I had been under so much stress when I'd conceived. Still, I was heartbroken. I had already lost so much in this life. Losing my baby brought me down and then Maggie and Glen told us they were expecting. I was happy for them but also bitter. Why could Maggie's body sustain her pregnancy while mine could not? I was angry and withdrawn from everyone and it made my relationships suffer, even my relationship with Daryl.

Maggie could see the change in me but for some reason she seemed to stick around me, like I needed to be protected. That was how we came to be cooking in the kitchen together. No one else wanted to deal with my broody silence. 

"Kate?" Maggie asked as she kneaded dough for our bread.

"Yeah?" I replied, stirring beans in a kettle.

"It's been months since you lost your baby. Have you thought about trying again?" She asked tentatively.

I stirred my beans quietly for a while. Usually when someone tried to question me about the miscarriage I refused to answer but no matter how rude or quiet or angry I had been with Maggie, she had stayed by my side, taking my abuse. I turned to face her, eyeing her critically. Seeing her compassion in her eyes loosened some of the anger in me, allowing me to be a little more vulnerable. I looked at the floor.

"I don't want it to happen again." I said quietly as tears began to well up in my eyes. "What if I can't carry a baby and I miscarry over and over again? What if I can never give Daryl a child?"

Maggie ceased her kneading and came and wrapped me up in a hug. I let her comfort me and for the first time since miscarrying I felt a sliver of peace.

"Well you'll never know if you never try." She said releasing me. "This place has done wonders for both you and Daryl. You're rested and eatin' well. You're not so stressed anymore. Maybe your body is ready now. Maybe you should try again." She rubbed a hand over her belly. "My little one could sure use another kid to grow up with."

"I don't want to disappoint Daryl." I said, unsure. "I don't want to get his hopes up just to never be able to give him a baby."

"Honey, that man loves you and not bein' able to have a baby ain't gonna change that. There are orphans here. If you guys can't have one of your own you can give one of them your name."

"I'm scared Maggie." I said.

"I know." She replied. "And I know that you're a strong woman. You'll give him a baby someday, you'll see. You have to try though. You can't have a baby if you're not trying." She gave my arm a squeeze and went back to kneading her dough. I stirred my beans in the pot and turned her words over in my mind.

That night, I excused myself from dinner early. Daryl didn't even blink. It had become a common occurrence. He would come to bed and usually I would pretend to be asleep. Tonight would be different. I lit a fire in our fireplace. It had an insert in the chimney to reflect more of the heat into the room and help keep it warm. Then I laid out a blanket and pillows on the ground in front of it as well as a bunch of candles which I lit. I removed all of my clothes and curled up in all of the pillows, waiting for him to come to bed.

I must have dozed off because I felt fingers tracing the smooth skin of the back of my shoulder. I stirred and turned to see Daryl lying next to me. He must have come in and undressed while I slept.

"I didn't mean to wake you up." He said quietly, his eyes taking their fill of my body. I knew he wanted to let his hands do the same but he was uncertain. I had denied him sex for most of the past four months.

"I'm glad you did." I smiled. I took the hand he had settled on my waist and I guided it up to my breast. He cupped it tenderly in his hand, gently drawing his thumb over my hard nipple. I put a hand to his face and his eyes shifted to mine.

"I'm ready to try again." I said. "I'm sorry I've been so distant and angry. I was afraid I could never give you a baby. I was afraid I would lose you. Maggie made a good point today though. She said that I wouldn't ever have a baby if I didn't try to have one. I'm ready to try and keep trying until we have a baby or until you're ready to give up on me."

"I ain't ever gonna give up on you." He said, bringing his lips to mine. He kissed me fiercely, lifting himself over me to settle between my legs. I could feel his hard length pressing against my wet opening but he didn't push forward. Instead he teased my slit with the tip of his cock, spreading my juices over both of us. I clung to him, pressing my hips up to him as he teased me. I needed him more than I had ever needed anyone. I whimpered and pleaded for him until he finally gave in. He began to press into me and I gritted my teeth. It had been a few weeks since we had made love and my body seemed reluctant to adjust to his size. He pressed relentlessly forward though, and when he finally sheathed himself in me, I was almost delirious with pleasure. I rubbed my hands all over him, marking his skin with my nails, urging him to take me. I was already teetering on the edge.

Daryl thrust into me, hard and fast. It felt almost like the first time we ever had sex. He was desperate, like a man dying of thirst. I reached my hand between us as he drove into me and rolled my clit under my finger. With a wild cry I arched and my muscles clamped down around him as I had an intense orgasm. I heard Daryl's low moan as he followed me over the edge, filling me. When I finally came down from my orgasm, he stroked back my hair and lovingly kissed my face and my shoulders.

"I love you." I breathed.

"I love you too." He said. 

We sat there like that for a while longer. He worshiped my skin and my breasts and I trailed lazy fingers over his torso. Suddenly I felt him twitch inside of me. I realized her was getting hard again. I squirmed, trying to feel him move within me. He pressed forward to give me my wish. This time we made love much more slowly and when I came, it was gentle, like floating on a cloud.

We lay together in front of the fire that night talking about everything we wanted as well as cuddling and touching each other. We were reconnecting and I found I loved him even more.

"What if we have a girl?" I asked, my head on his chest as I stared into the fire.

"I hope she looks like you." Daryl chuckled.

"What would we name her?" I asked.

"How about Tammy?" He asked.

"How about Brianna?" I countered.

"How about Samantha?" He said. I smiled.

"I like Samantha."

"What if it's a boy?" He asked, "What would we name him?"

"I like Gordon." I said.

"Me too." Daryl said. "But we don't really have to worry about that right now."

I sighed and snuggled closer. "You're right. Our time will come. I think we should go to bed. We need to get our rest while we can."

We picked up some stuff and put the candles out and then crawled into bed. I slept better that night than I had in four months. '

I woke up to a tray of fresh bread and butter with cereal and milk. Daryl was already dressed and ready for the day but that didn't stop him from tweaking one of my bare nipples playfully.

"Hurry up and eat." He said. "We're going hunting."

I eagerly ate my food. Hunting was one of my favorite things to do. I quickly got dressed and ready and then we headed for the river. We waited in our blind for a deer to come by. This was a new area for us but the sign was promising. Still, it was a few hours before a big buck came wandering into range. Daryl motioned for me to take the shot with my compound. I knocked a broad head and drew back, waiting as the buck came closer and closer. Suddenly he stopped, as though he could hear my heart hammering. I took a breath, centered my bow and released. The deer fled, then stumbled, then fell to the ground, kicking and flailing. He stilled and I knew he was dead. He had only run forty yards before collapsing. Daryl kissed my head and then exited the blind. I followed as he approached the dear, crossbow drawn and ready. He poked it but it didn't move. He unloaded his crossbow and drew his knife. He made quick work of dressing it and then he tied a rope around its neck. I pulled the rope as he pulled the antlers which we saved to make handles of knives with.

We got the buck back to the Plantation and they went to work removing the hide and butchering the deer. Daryl and I were treated to a hot meal and sent to the living room to relax while they worked. Bringing in food was a highly rewarded task and we would have to do no more work for the remainder of the day. I sat on the sofa and picked up a book and Daryl started re-fletching his bolts for his crossbow. We sat in companionable silence for a while until Rick came in.

"Connor's found more people." He said. We both perked up and headed out to the front yard. Every time we brought in more people we decreased the likelihood of getting raided. This came at the cost of finding enough food to feed everyone. Still, we took in whoever we could. There was strength in numbers.

A caravan of cars pulled up. Two were ours and three were new. People began pouring out of vehicles, huddling together for safety and comfort. The small group was mostly women and children. Men being how they are, tended to take on more dangerous roles in daily life like raiding and hunting. They also were the primary protectors. This put them as main targets for killing so there was a surplus of women and children as compared to the men. Connor stepped out of his SUV and began directing people so the families could be fed and placed. He brought a teenage girl over to me and Daryl.

"I need you guys to get her a room and some food." He said.

I looked at her. She was thin and pale, like she hadn't eaten or rested properly in weeks. Her dirty blond locks hung limp and greasy around her face. Her dull hazel eyes looked lifelessly out at us. She seemed to be lost within herself.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Abby." She said.

"I'm Kate and this is Daryl. If you'll come with us we'll find you a place to clean up and then we'll bring you some food."

She followed us into the house and we directed her to the next room down the hall from us. I opened the door and lead her in. "This will be your room. That door there leads to a bathroom which we will all share. It has running water and a hot shower."

The girl perked up at the mention of a hot shower. It was a luxury in this world and even those who lived at the plantation preferred to bathe in the River. We liked to preserve the hot water for the newcomers as a way to get them to relax and trust us. Some of us did indulge from time to time though. Daryl and I had taken several together since we arrived.

Abby looked at Daryl and then looked at me. "Are you guys together?" She asked. She seemed to ask more because she wanted to know about Daryl than she did about me. I got the feeling she responded well to strong men like him and so I decided to let her know exactly who he was.

"Yes. We're trying to have a baby. He's a hunter and a protector in this group. He may seem a little rough around the edges but don't worry. When you get to know him he's a big teddy bear." I smiled.

She seemed to relax a bit and I was willing to bet she was feeling a little safer having him around. She smiled tentatively at him and he gave her one of his tight lipped half smiles with a little nod. She seemed satisfied with this and looked longingly at the bathroom.

"Come on. I'll show you where everything is." I said. I brought her into the bathroom and showed her where the soap, washcloths, towels, shampoo, conditioner and other essential items were. I started the shower for her and then left her to bathe. I sent Daryl down to retrieve whatever possessions she had from her people so she could have clean clothes only to find that she didn't have another change of clothes. She was smaller than I was but I figured she would fit into my t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. At least until we could find something to fit her better. She came out wrapped up in a big fluffy towel and her eyes looked relieved. She seemed more relaxed and a bit livelier. I shooed Daryl away and gave her some clothes. She dressed quickly.

"We'll find you some more clothes in a while. For now, let's get some food in you."

I took her down to the kitchen where the rest of her group was eating, all cleaned up and happy. I sat her near an older woman and I got her a plate and some silverware. She helped herself to what was out on the table; it was yesterday's dinner. We sat with her as she ate and learned that most all of her family was dead and she had met her group in the beginning at a refugee camp. She wasn't from Georgia but out west in Wyoming. She knew a lot about horses and farming as her parents had owned a ranch out there. I knew right away she would be an asset to our group. I also felt a bit of a connection with her seeing as our stories were kind of the same. Our families were dead, we were away from home, and we survived by trusting people we didn't know. As I watched her eat, I wondered what was in store for Abby. I decided then and there to take her on as my little sister. I would protect her and Daryl would too. I just didn't know yet how much protection she would need.


	5. New life

Authors note: Thank you for all the support. I love reading your comments and they inspire me to keep going. Also, if you have any suggestions as far as what you feel may be missing I would like to know! My aim is to become a better writer. Also if you feel I need to add to the story feel free to let me know. Thanks! –DonnaLeeGreene

 

The winter was hard for us. We brought in more people than we could comfortably sustain. We had to ration and that was hard, especially for Maggie and me. Maggie was heavy with her baby and ready to pop at any moment. I was five months behind her but that just meant I was hungry and irritable. Still, I would endure anything so long as our baby was born healthy. 

I was sitting in our room, staring out across the thawed grounds. It was May after all, and the hot Georgia sun had readied the fields for planting. That's where most of the people who lived on the Plantation were now. More people meant more ground covered and that meant more food for the winter. Suddenly our door opened and Daryl came through smiling. He had a bad habit of abandoning whatever he was doing to come and check up on me. Everyone understood and left Daryl to his own devices.

"I'm pregnant, not sick." I complained as soon as I saw him. He just gave me his half smile and came over and gave me a long kiss, running his hand tenderly over my swelling belly. Now that I was pregnant and my hormones were raging it didn't take much to ignite my desire and he knew it. With a breathy moan, I deepened the kiss, allowing him to pull me from my chair and lay me across the bed. Rough hands teased my skin where my hips disappeared into my jeans. His lips drew a line of fire down my neck. My swollen breasts throbbed as my nipples hardened.

"You make it too easy." He teased me, pulling back.

"You can thank your baby for that." I laughed, hooking a leg over his hip and rubbing my core against him. I moaned.

"Are you going to make me beg?" I asked.

"I like it when you beg." He said in a low voice as he pressed against me.

"Please, baby. Please put your dick in me. Stretch out my little pussy and make me cum all over you." I begged.

He didn't even bother to remove my tank top but unbuttoned my pants and slid a hand beneath my soaking wet panties. His fingers brushed my clit and I moaned as fire raced up my spine.

"I want you to fuck me so hard." I said, my eyes burning into his. "I want you to make me scream."

Daryl lost whatever control he was maintaining and quickly removed my pants and lacy thong. He stepped out of his own pants and I eyed his hard tool hungrily. He surprised me by laying on his back.

"You want it so bad, come get it." He challenged.

I was on him before he could even blink. I sank down on his cock until the head popped in and then I froze. He looked at me puzzled.

"Do you like that?" I asked in a too sweet voice. He looked at me suspiciously. I sank down a fraction of an inch and then rose, offering only the tiniest amount of friction. He saw where I was going with this and with a smile, he wrapped his hands around my hips in a grip like steel.

"I know what you're doin' and you should know better by now." He said. His muscled arms flexed, slowly pushing me down onto his hard cock. I moaned as he slowly stretched me. When I was finally fully seated he released my hips and grinned triumphantly at me. I began a slow and steady grind against him, just feeling his entire length shifting within me. I watched as his eyes half closed with pleasure and soon I felt his hips begin to move against me, seeking more. I leaned forward and began to move quickly over him, giving him what he desired. 

Since becoming pregnant, orgasms had become much more intense for me and I could feel myself building towards one as my pace increased. I couldn't make my body move fast enough in this position and so I slid off of him.

"Lay on your side." He said, guiding me to face away from him. I did as he said and he slid into me, one hand resting protectively on my rounded belly. He caressed it lovingly for a second and then grabbed my hip and started hammering into me. I cried out in ecstasy as he hit all the right places. I felt it as my orgasm began to boil within me.

"Baby, I'm going to cum." I said as my hand strayed to my clit. "Fuck me harder baby. Oh god. I'm cumming!" I practically screamed as my body clenched and my toes curled. He hammered into me until I felt his final, hard thrust and he came deep within me. We both lay there, breathing hard until we recovered. As he usually did, he pulled out and retrieved a washcloth to clean both me and himself. Just as he was wiping away the last traces of his cum from my slit, our door burst open, a frantic Abby standing in the doorway. She wasn't even phased by seeing us both half naked.

"It's Maggie." She said.

Daryl and I both scurried to retrieve out clothing and redress and then followed Maggie down a floor and to Maggie and Glenn's room. She was lying in bed, sweating. She had an intense look of concentration on her face for a few moments but then her breath hissed out and she relaxed a little.

"You're here." She smiled. "My water just broke a couple minutes ago and now we're just waitin' for the baby to come."

Glenn was by her side and he looked like he was panicking. Daryl went and clasped a hand on his shoulder. Glenn looked in his eyes and Daryl nodded to him. Having known Daryl so long Glenn knew that meant Daryl was expecting him to stay strong. He nodded back, letting Daryl know he would be strong for Maggie. She whimpered as another contraction hit.

"They're getting' worse." She groaned.

Elaine and Chuck came into the room. Chuck was the Plantation doctor and Elaine had been a nurse in the pediatric ward before the virus struck.

"Alright, Maggie, let's see how you're doin'." Chuck said. Daryl and I stood back towards her head to give her some privacy as Chuck lifted the sheets and checked her out.

"Another couple of centimeters and you'll be ready." He said. Another contraction hit and Glenn held her hand as she groaned through it. After a few more minutes, Chuck checked again.

"Glenn, I want you to get behind her and support her back. We're going to start pushing."

Glenn climbed behind Maggie and then the birth began. She pushed for almost an entire hour but finally, we heard the loud crying of a newborn baby. Maggie laid against Glenn, exhausted but smiling as she saw her baby for the first time.

"It's a boy." Chuck said as he handed him off to Elaine so he could cut the umbilical cord. When the cord was cut she quickly wrapped him up in a towel and handed him to Maggie who held him, tears streaming down her face.

"My baby. My little Colton." She cooed as the baby screamed.

The doctor gave them each a minute to hold the newborn before bringing over a bowl of water with some washcloths. He instructed them to clean him and, when he was clean, to wrap him up and offer him her breast. He latched on instinctively and began feeding. Once the doctor had discerned his weight and his length and that he was healthy, we all filed out, leaving the happy family to bask in each other's love.

"It's a boy." We announced to the rest of the group who had gathered in the house during Maggie's labor. There was a lot of cheering and excited chattering as welcoming a new life was a big deal in the world of death and turmoil we lived in.

"You're next." One of the old timers teased good-naturedly. 

I smiled at Daryl and hoped that our child could bring as much love and joy to both the group and ourselves as Maggie and Glenn's had.


	6. Wound too Tight

I sat in our room, looking out over the freshly planted fields. My hand absently rubbing my swollen belly. No one would let me do anything anymore. Miscarrying my first pregnancy had Chuck worried that I was a high risk pregnancy and he had all but sentenced me to bed rest. Daryl was almost insufferable, not even allowing me to dress without his help. Almost six months into my pregnancy, I was starting to go stir crazy. Daryl was out hunting at the moment, an activity I had been forbidden to participate in. I decided to take advantage of his absence and snuck out to the garden where I ran into Maggie of all people. Having just birthed a healthy son the week before, the rest of the group didn't allow her to do much either.

"Shouldn't you be up with Colton?" I teased.

"Kate, you know better than anyone that sittin' up in those rooms while everyone else is doin' stuff is enough to drive you crazy. I imagine that's why you're out here when you're not supposed to be." She replied

I joined her in the dirt and we slowly made our way around the garden, weeding around the small seedlings that were beginning to spring from the earth. A few of the older women joined us and I was grateful that they didn't harass me or Maggie for getting out of the house and doing some work. After about an hour, Maggie headed back inside and I decided to follow. I stood and brushed the dirt from my jeans. I washed my hands in the garden hose and dried them on the cloth there. I turned to head back inside and directly in front of me stood a very disgruntled looking Daryl. I grinned sheepishly, like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. He lifted one eyebrow.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"I was just pulling a couple weeds." I replied.

"Chuck said not to work yourself too hard." He said.

"Yeah, I know. Gardening isn't that hard. He didn't say I couldn't do anything." I pointed out. He sighed. We had had this conversation five million times in the last two months.

"Can't you just relax?" He asked.

"You try sitting in a room with nothing to do all day. It drives me nuts." I pouted.

"You can hang around Maggie." He offered as a solution.

"She came out here and worked in the garden longer than I did." I told him. "No one likes to feel useless."

"You're not useless." He said.

"Well I'm not helpless either. I can do stuff around here." I said.

"I just want you and the baby healthy." He said.

"We are healthy. I need something to do or I'm going to go insane. I need to get out of the house." I replied. I closed the distance and wrapped him in a hug. "I appreciate that you worry about us but you need to ease up a little bit."

He dropped a kiss on the top of my head. "I'll try." He said.

It went on like that for another three months. He'd back off for a little bit buy then he would be back to dictating my every move. One day, as I cooked for the group with Maggie and Beth, Daryl came downstairs and saw me lifting a heavy sack of potatoes onto the table.

He rushed in and grabbed them, slamming them onto the counter, squishing some on the bottom.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, barely containing his anger.

"I'm cooking." I replied in a dangerous tone.

"That is way too heavy to be lifting and all this bendin' and working ain't good for you." He said.

"Chuck never gave me a weight restriction or directions not to bend or move. I can do what I want, Daryl."

"Do you even care about this baby?" He accused.

"Of course I do. How can you even ask that?" I said, hurt that he would think I didn't love my child with all my heart.

"Well you sure the hell ain't actin' like it." He said.

My hurt turned into rage and I reached up and punched him as hard as I could in the face. He reacted instinctively, grabbing me by the hair. He held me there, shaking.

"You going to hit me? I know you want to. I can feel it. Tell me, who doesn't care about the baby now?" I taunted.

He released me and pushed me away, storming out of the kitchen as Maggie and Beth stared.

"That ain't right." Beth said. "You shouldn't have said them things to him. It was mean and hurtful."

I looked down at my shaking hands. What Daryl had said to me had hurt but I crossed a line. Daryl was just trying to protect the baby. With my pregnancy drawing to a close, my emotions were always quick and intense and his words had drawn a fierce overreaction.

"He shoulda known better than to say somthin' like that to the mother of his child." Maggie defended me. "Her hormones are so crazy right now that he's lucky she didn't pull a knife on him. He deserved every word she threw at him. They were no different than the words he said to her."

Still, guilt ate at my mind. I needed to go to him. "Sorry girls, I'm going to have to leave you to make dinner yourselves. I need to make this right with him. I'm eight months pregnant and the baby could come any day. I can't have it coming into an angry situation."

"Well go on then." Maggie replied.

I waddled of up to our room but he wasn't there. I couldn't find him in the garage or the fields or anywhere. Finally I spotted Rick in the pasture and I headed over there.

"Have you seen Daryl?" I asked.

"He just took one of the horses." Rick said. "He told me he needed to go huntin'."

"I need to go after him. We fought and I said some pretty nasty things."

"Are you sure that's smart in your condition?" He asked.

"It's not like I'm riding in the Kentucky Derby." I said. "I'll take Miss Betty to be safe. I really need to see him."

"You want me to come with you?" He asked.

"No." I replied. "We need to get through this ourselves." I turned and headed for the barn to grab one of our older horses. I saddled her up and mounted. It felt good to be up on a horse again. I urged her forward and headed the direction Rick said he had gone. I found his trail fairly quickly. He wasn't trying to be sneaky. Still it took me hours to find him out in the woods. He had gone further than I thought he would. It stung a little knowing he hadn't stayed close enough to come to me if something were to happen. I ruthlessly shoved the hurt down and pushed into his camp, calling for him so I didn't startle him. He sat by a small fire, eying me warily. I could tell he was still mad at me. That only served to piss me off.

I dismounted and stood in front of him, hands on my hips. "You don't get to be mad at me." I said.

"How could you say those things to me?" He asked. "I have done nothin' but worry about you and our baby from day one. Everything I do is to protect that baby and you can sit there and say I don't care. It's bullshit."

"So what. You think I'm completely incapable of taking care of myself and my baby? Is that it?"

"You're putting too much stress on your body..." He started.

"Well then Judith must me some sort of mutant. Did you see what Lori went through when she was pregnant? She starved and ran and worked and killed walkers. Her little girl is just fine and I haven't done even a quarter of those things. I haven't had a single complication. And you know what? You deserved every word I said to you. You said the same damn thing to me. How could you think I wouldn't do anything to protect my own child?" Tears were streaming from my face by now. "This baby is the most precious thing to me in the world. How could you say that I don't care? How?"

He looked away for a second, staring into the flames. I knew he felt guilty but I wasn't ready for this conversation to be done. "Well?" I asked.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I just want what best for my kid."

"You have to trust that I know my limits Daryl. I've given up a lot for this pregnancy. I've given my body, hunting, being a helpful member of the group, my independence. What have you had to give Daryl? Other than sex? You're not the one sitting in the house all day watching the seconds tick by. I realize you want what's best for us but you have to trust that I know what I need. A little exercise and work will not harm me or the baby."

"Did you really think I would hurt you or our baby?" He asked in a tortured voice. 

I waddled over to him and sat down next to him. "No." I said. "You love us too much for that, but hearing you say I didn't care about our baby made me so mad that I wanted you to feel as hurt as I was. It's been so hard controlling my emotions these days. I didn't mean what I said."

Before Daryl had a chance to say anything we heard the telltale noise of moaning and shuffling. We were far outside of our comfort range.

"They must have spotted the fire." Daryl said as he grabbed for his bow. He helped em to my feet and we backed towards the horses. "We're leaving Betty. Rambo will be faster with both of us on him than she would be on her own."

I felt a twinge of guilt but horses had good instincts and she might be able to out run them. Daryl helped me awkwardly mount and then climbed up behind the saddle. He grabbed the reigns and gave Rambo a good kick. We left the fire burning, hoping to distract some of them. We weaved through the forest, heading for the meadows that came before the house. Walkers popped out from behind trees and I used Daryl's bow to slay them as we rode.

We broke out of the forest at breakneck speed. It was a clear shot home and he urged the horse forward. I felt a pain in my stomach and gasped. Daryl started slowing down, concerned.

"Go!" I urged. "We need to get home now!"

For once he listened to me and we flew across the fields. Hours of tracking turned into half an hour of hard riding. By the time we got back I was in real pain. Daryl helped me down from the horse and as soon as I hit the ground, a strong contraction hit. I felt water gush from me, wetting my pants and I looked up at a frantic Daryl.

"My water just broke." I said.

"But you're three weeks early. This is all my fault. What if the baby dies because of me?"

"Daryl!" I snapped sharply at him. "Almost eight and a half months is just fine for the baby. It'll be fine! We have a doctor and this baby is fully developed and ready. We'll go to our room and send someone for chuck. I'm making you a father tonight."

"Daryl took my demanding tone to heart and led me into our room where he helped me into a night gown. He stripped the bed and put a plastic covering over it and then some worn sheets. He helped me into bed, arranging the pillows and then he walked to the next room and hammered on the door. Abby opened it, looking confused.

"It's the baby." He said, "It's coming. Go get chuck and Elaine."

Abby didn't need to be told twice and she ran for the doctors. Maggie and Glenn showed up before the doctors even did.

"You're going to do great." Maggie said. I gave her a weak smile and nod as another contraction struck.

The doctors showed up and after over an hour of contractions he gave the same instructions to Daryl as he had given to Glenn. "Get behind her and support her. It's time to push."

Daryl climbed behind me, taking both hands in his. "Come on now, baby. We gotta meet our little one. You can do this. I'm right here behind you."

With his encouragement in my ear, I pushed hard as soon as the next contraction hit. And then again, and again, and again. The baby came quickly, only twenty minutes into pushing I felt his head come out. 

"One more big one, baby. One more and it's all over." Daryl urged. I took a deep breath and pushed with a strength I never knew I had. I screamed as I expelled my baby's shoulders and body and then slumped back into Daryl, exhausted. My eyes lit up as my baby cried for the first time. Elise began wiping it down.

"Another boy!" She proclaimed.

I felt Daryl's breath catch. He wrapped his arms around my chest and buried his head into my neck and cried. I held out my hands for my son. Desperate to hold him. Elise handed him over and Daryl released me so he could stroke his sons face. 

"What should we name him?" I asked.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"I was thinking maybe James after my father and Merle after your brother."

"It's perfect." Daryl said and he kissed me soundly.

"Say hello to James Merle Dixon." I said to everyone. Chuck cut his umbilical cord and I handed him over to E to clean him. I passed the placenta and Chuck stitched up a small tear I had sustained during the birth. Daryl slid out from behind me allowing me to lay back and rest. He went off to watch Elaine with our son and came back a while later with him in his arms. My heart melted as I saw the tiny bundle settled so carefully in arms I had seen break bones. I fell more in love with Daryl as a father than I had ever been in love with him before. He brought James over to me and I lowered my night gown, exposing a swollen breast. With Elaine's help we got him latched and there was a quick pain as he suckled milk from my breast.

Daryl leaned down and smoothed my hair back. "I love you baby. You did so good today. I'm so proud of you." He kissed my head and then kissed the back of his son's head as he nursed. Tears of joy fell down my face and everyone left the room so we could have our time as a family.

"He'll need a brother or a sister." I said after a while. Daryl looked at me surprised. 

"Already?" He asked. 

I laughed, "Well maybe we'll wait a year or so. At least until he's walking."

"Shit, I thought you wanted to get started tonight." He teased, tweaking my other nipple.

I slapped his hand away, laughing. "Those are for your son now." I scolded, "And now that we have a baby you're going to start having to watch your language. This world may have gone to hell in a hand basket but I'm not raising a child without manners."

Daryl just laughed. "I'll try." He said.

"I've heard that before." I grumbled.

"Baby, I promise you I'll do my best to raise and protect our son. You know that right?" He asked.

I smiled softly at him. "I love you Daryl Dixon. Don't ever forget it."

"I won't." He promised. He placed a calloused hand gently on his son's head. "I won't ever forget."  
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**Author's Note:**

> If you want more let me know in the comments! Thanks!


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